The Scottsdale Resort

An 18×40 vanishing-edge gunite pool with raised spa, pebble finish, and a custom fire-and-water feature.

A 3,400 sq ft McDowell Mountain home with panoramic valley views called for a pool that read as part of the architecture, not an afterthought. The client wanted a vanishing edge, a raised spa, integrated fire features, and the surface to look like the Arizona sky.

The builder spent six weeks on design before the first excavator showed up — renderings, a full hardscape plan, and lighting sections. The pool is technically two shells: the main pool and a raised spa that spills over a decorative glass tile wall into a 9-inch trough before cascading into the pool.

Pebble finish (not plaster) was non-negotiable because of the saltwater system. The NPC has documented accelerated plaster erosion under salt; pebble handles it without issue. The midnight-blue pebble with the sky-reflection pattern reads almost black in direct sun and deep sapphire at dusk — exactly the effect the client wanted.

Two fire bowls on the pool's raised back wall, a 6-foot infinity edge spilling into a planted catch basin, a fully-automated Pentair IntelliCenter system, and an automatic cover for the spa. Total pad equipment count: twelve pieces.